US Envoy offers condolences to fallen Peshmerga after Iranian missile strike

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday offered "heartfelt" condolences to fallen Peshmerga after an Iranian missile strike that killed six fighters and injured dozens in Erbil on Tuesday.

In a post on X responding to remarks from Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani about a phone call the two held the day before, Barrack said: “We stand with our Iraqi partners in this difficult moment and express heartfelt condolences to the fallen Peshmerga," adding that "strong leaders and strong partners are critical in this moment.”

Prime Minister Barzani said Wednesday he had spoken with Barrack and appreciated the call. “I had a good call with @USAMBTurkiye Tom Barrack and thanked him for his thoughtful call and condolences," he wrote on X, adding that "our people stand united in mourning the martyred Peshmerga.”

“We value the KRG–U.S. partnership at this critical moment and look forward to continuing our dialogue,” Prime Minister Barzani added.

The call came a day after an Iranian ballistic missile strike targeted a Peshmerga base in Erbil province’s Soran administration early Tuesday, killing six fighters and wounding 30 others. The attack followed several days of missile and drone strikes against Peshmerga forces across the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said Wednesday that Tehran had acknowledged the strike as a “mistake” and pledged to investigate. Speaking during a visit to the funerals of the victims, he said they have “contacted the Islamic Republic of Iran. They acknowledge that a mistake was made and have promised to conduct an investigation into the matter.”

He added that Iranian officials “have also sent their regrets and a message of condolence to the Kurdistan Region,” noting that authorities are “currently waiting to see what the response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be to the Kurdistan Region.”

Since February 28, the Kurdistan Region has faced sustained aerial attacks amid a broader conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, with more than 450 drones and missiles launched toward its territory, according to Rudaw monitoring.

At least 14 people have been killed and 85 wounded in the attacks, marking one of the most intense periods of conflict in the Region in recent years. Despite this, Kurdish leaders have reiterated a policy of neutrality.

“Since the outbreak of the current war, we have not been a part of it, and we will not become a part of it,” President Barzani said, emphasizing that the Region is “not a source of threat to any neighboring country, and specifically not to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”